What is the cause for excessive sleepiness?

Q:I have a problem of excessive sleepiness. I am 23 years old with no major medical history. I have always enjoyed sleeping for long hours and was never prevented by anyone from doing so. But for the last one year it has got worse. I used to visit the gym extensively and for that I took steroids as well (Decadurabolin and Neurabol and some Ayurvedic medicines), due to which I gained a lot of weight. After gaining weight, I started sleeping for long hours. The problem is so bad, that I can sleep for 12-13 hours. And I still feel like sleeping in the daytime. I don't feel like doing anything now, neither socialising nor studying. I avoid meeting friends and whenever given the choice I sleep the day off or just laze around. Has this problem built up over time or can taking medicines to cure it? I want to do something constructive rather than wasting my life sleeping.

A:Your symptom of frequent and excessive sleep is likely to be due to a condition called narcolepsy. People affected by this disorder have sleep attacks with varying frequency from few to many times / day and in duration from a few minutes to several hours, during the day as well as night. The cause is unknown. I suggest you consult a neurologist for further examination and investigations, and treatment as appropriate.